Debra L. Stephens

Debra Leigh Stephens (born c. 1965) is the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. She was appointed to the court in December 2007 by Governor Christine Gregoire[1] and took office on January 1, 2008.[2] She was elected by voters in 2008 and re-elected in 2014. Prior to her appointment, Justice Stephens served as a judge for Division Three of the Washington Court of Appeals and as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law. She is the first judge from Division Three of the Court of Appeals to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court, and the first woman from Eastern Washington to do so.[3]

Debra Stephens
Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Assumed office
January 5, 2020
Preceded byMary Fairhurst
Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Assumed office
January 1, 2008
Appointed byChristine Gregoire
Preceded byBobbe Bridge
Personal details
Born
Debra Leigh Williams

1965 (age 54–55)
Spouse(s)Craig Stephens
Children2
EducationGonzaga University (BA, JD)

Biography

Early life and education

Debra Leigh Williams grew up in Spokane, Washington. She graduated from West Valley High School, where she was student body president and a national "Century III Leader."[4] In 2012, she was inducted into its alumni Hall of Fame. She graduated from Gonzaga University and taught speech communication and coached the debate team at Spokane Falls Community College before entering Gonzaga University School of Law as a Thomas More Scholar. She earned her law degree with honors, graduating summa cum laude in 1993.[5]

Career

After completing law school, Stephens served as a staff attorney for the Honorable Stephens Fred L. Van Sickle, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington from 1993-1995. Stephens then went into private practice. From 1995 until April 2007 she helped coordinate the Amicus Curiae Program of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Foundation. She also taught federal and state constitutional law, community property, appellate advocacy, and legal research and writing as an adjunct professor for Gonzaga University School of Law.

In 2007, she was appointed and then elected as a judge for Division Three of the Washington Court of Appeals. Judge Stephens was then appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court effective January 1, 2008.[6] She was then elected in 2008 to the Washington Supreme Court and re-elected in 2014.

In October 2018, Stephens concurred when the majority abolished the state's death penalty because they found its racist imposition violated the Constitution of Washington.[7][8]

On November 6, 2019, Stephens was unanimously selected to be the next Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, following the retirement of Mary Fairhurst.[9]

Marriage and Children

Justice Stephens and her husband, Craig, have been married since 1989, and have two children.[10]

References
  1. Roesler, Richard (2007-12-04). "Local judge named to state's high court". Spokane Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07.
  2. https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=stephens
  3. https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=stephens
  4. http://www.supremelaw.org/cc/wsba/stephens.debra/bio.htm
  5. https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=stephens
  6. http://www.supremelaw.org/cc/wsba/stephens.debra/bio.htm
  7. Note, Recent Case: Washington State Supreme Court Declares Death Penalty Unconstitutional In Washington, 132 Harv. L. Rev. 1764 (2019).
  8. State v. Gregory, 427 P.3d 621 (Wash. 2018).
  9. "Debra Stephens elected as next chief justice of state Supreme Court". KOMO. November 6, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  10. http://www.supremelaw.org/cc/wsba/stephens.debra/bio.htm
Legal offices
Preceded by
Bobbe Bridge		 Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
2008–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Mary Fairhurst		 Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
2020–present
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